Grading machine



' W. T. B. ROBERTS GRADING MACHINE Aug, 3o, 19.27c

JLU

Aw. T. B. ROBERTS GRADING MACHINE Original-Filed sept. 1:5I 1922 2 Sheets-sheet 2 mimi Fig. 3.

Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STA WILLIAM THOMAS BUCKINGEAM ROBERTS, or LEICESTEE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOE To UNITED sHoE MAGHTNEEY CORPORATION, oF PATEEsoN, NEW JERSEY, A 00E- POBATIONOE NEW JERSEY.

GRADING MACHINE.

Applicationiled September 13, 1922, SeralNo. 588,000, and in GreatvBrtain September 16, 1921.

- `Renewed. October 11, 1926.

selected locality, the thickness of thek finished blank being preferably the thickness of the thinnest spot in said locality. It is also desirable inv some instances that the blanks should be marked and sorted in accordance with their thickness. The term grading. in the boot and shoe industry is used generically to cover these and similar operations such as visually indicating the thickness of a blank by means of a pointer movable over a scale. Such machines ordinarily comprise feeler mechanism, grading mechanism and means for adjusting the grading mechanism in accordance with the determinations of the feeler mechanism, the

blanks being presented one by one to the feeler mechanism andV fed from that mechamsm to the grading mechanism. 1

Until recently such machines have been so' constructed that a preceding blank must pass entirely through the machine before a succeeding blank can be presented to thev machine. This rendered the operation of such machines rather slow; and recently it has been proposed to provide a. construction whereby a succeeding bla-nk may be presented to the machine and caused to operate the adjusting mechanism before the grading of the preceding blank has been completed, two such machines being disclosed respectively in applicationSerial No. 250,644, filed Aug. 20, 1918, in the name of Winkley and in application Serial No. 805,106, tiled June 18, 1919, in the name of Stewart, both of which applications are assigned to the assignee of the present-application.

rlhe present invention relates to improvements in the later type of machine referred to above. ln the illustrative machine there is provided a setting member movement of which sets or adjusts the grading mecha.- nism. a controller for the setting member which is adjusted by the feeler mechanism into and held in a position corresponding to the thickness of a Vthin spot encounteredv in the blank by the feeler mechanism, and a power operated actuator which at the proper time moves the setting member into a position correspondingl to that of the controller. The. grading mechanism thus set remains set until the blank has been graded,

but the controller is presently freed and re-A turned to normal position so as to be capable of moving in response to the freeler determinations on a succeedingv blank before ythe preceding blank has been graded.

A 'Other Vfeatures of theinvention relate to means for ensuring that the controller sha-ll' be freed irrespective of the length of the blank which is being graded and to means for ensuring that the setting of the grading mechanism shall be maintained irrespective of the thickness of the blank.

V These and other features of the invention including certain details of construction and'y tially the same parts as are shown in Fig. '2.k

Before proceeding to a detailed description of the parts of the machine, a general description of its mode of operation will be given. The blankis presented beneath a gate 5 which is normally held in raised or'y open position, to feeler rolls 7 9 the upper one of which is held from bodily mo'vement but the lower one of which may yield downwardly. Separation of the rolls by the leading end of the blank releases the gate which falls until it engages the upper face ofthe blank. The gate rides overthe upper face of the blank until the following or rear end of the .blank passes from beneath the gate, whereupon the gate falls farther into closed position. During the time that lthe yblank is passing beneath the feeler rolls and before the gate has completely fallen, the movements of the lower or feeler roll 9 up anddown in response to thinner and thicker spots adjusts certain mechanism which is connected to wedges 0r inclines one of which is shown at 11, so

u 9 are not effective to cause any further adjustment of the wedges of the splitting mechanism. After the blank has emerged from between the fceler rolls it is carried to the rolls 13, 15 of the splitting mechanism by a chain such as that shown in British Patent 13752 of 1912 to which patent further reference will be made, The blank presently encounters the rolls of the splitting mechanism, lifts the gage roll 13 -to an extent determined by the position into which the wedges 11 havebeen adjusted and passes between the rolls, being split or evened during the passage-to the thicknessof itsthinnest spot in that locality of the blank to which the adjusting mechanism was responsive. As will be explained this is commonly not the thinnest spot in the entire blank, but the thinnest spot in a selected locality, and usually the thinnest spot in i the edge of the forepart of the blank, if the blank is a sole blank. The lifting of the gage roll 13 operates through certain mechamsm to raise or open the gate once more so as to permit a succeeding blank to be fed to the machine; and this gate-opening mechanism, which is very similar to that of, British Patent 13752 or 1912, referred to above, will first be described.

In the machine of the patent the construction is such that after the gate is closed it remains closed until the blank has been completelv evened before it is raised to permit a succeeding blank to be presented to the feeler rolls; but, by omitting certain parts of the patented construction, the lgate is caused to be opened by the raising of the gage roll 13 of the splitting mechanism as the blank raises said roll instead of by the fall of the same roll after the blank has been 'evened The gate 5 is fast to the generally which the latch 21 is pivoted. The lever 27 is pivoted on a stud 29and`carries at the endl remote from'the latch a cam roll 31 held in engagement with a one-revolution cam 33 by a leaf spring 35. The cam 33 is fast to a rotatable `shaft 37 driven by intermediate gearing (not shown), which may 'beVv the same as in the patented machine, from a shaft 39 which is caused to make one revolution when the gage roll 13 ofthe splitting mechanism is raised. The one-revolution clutch, which is connected to and disconnected from the shaft `39, is the same in the patented machine and comprises av sliding, toothed clutch member 41 which is normally held in inoperative position by a'swinging wedge 43 pivoted to the frame .at 45 and having a horizontally extending arm 47 ar! ranged toI be engaged von its under side by a trip-rod 49. VThis trip-rod is pivoted at itsV lower end to an arm 51, the pivotal connecthe frame of the machine and has pivotedV to it at 55 the lower end of a rodV 57 vthe upper end of which is fastto the vertically slidable bearing of the gage roll 13. It will thus be evident that when the gageV roll is lifted, the trip-rod 49 will be lifted. This swings the arm 47 upwardly and the wedge 43 to the right thereby 'disengaging the wedge from a pin 59 which is driven into the sliding clutch member 41 and permitting a spring, not shown, to render the clutch teeth operative. The trip-rod 49 is held against a pin 61 by a spring 63. As the trip-rod 49 is moved upwardly it first throws in the clutch in the manner which has been described.y and then a shoulder on the rod engages the pin 61 thereby forcing the rod to swing to the right until its upper end no longer engages the arm 47, whereupon the arm 47 and the wedge 43swing in clockwise direction so that 'the wedge will engage the pin 59 in time to throw out theclutch at the end of one revolution.

All of this` Y mechanism is or may be the same as in the patented machine to which reference is made for details. It will be understood,however, that when the leadingfend of a 'blank enters between the rolls 13, 15 of the splitting mech-l anism and liftsV the roll 13, the cam 33 is given one revolution.

The operation of the gate is as follows: When a blank is presented beneath the gate 5 and enters between the feeler rolls 7. 9,7the` roll u is depressed and, through mechanism presently to be described, swings tothe left an arm 65 the upper end of which 'engages a pin 67 on the latch 21 and disengagesthe latch from the pin 23 thereby permitting the gate to fall upon the blank. When the blank emerges from between the feeler rolls 7,9, thea-rm isv swungback. into the position shown, Vthe springpressed plunger 25 maintaining the pin'67 in contact with the arm. vAssoonvas the blankfraisesithe rcll`13 of the splitting imechanism, t-he lever .27 is rocked .firstin adirection to lower the/.latch 21 until itfonce'amore engages thepin 2317011 the gate-carrying `arm117 and 'then in a direction'toiraisethe latchzand 'open the gate so that a succeeding: `lolankemay be'presented to themachine. Y

.The feeler mechanism, lthe splitting or evening mechanismiand ailarge .part of the mechanismY by which' the splitting mechanism is set -in accordancewit-h the `determinations of the feeler lmechanismare or may be substantiallv tliesame as those shown and de'- scribed in British Patent17,808 of V1909, and those parts which'are substantially the same will beronly briefly described.

Thesplitting or evening mechanism is like that off the Vvpatent an'd comprises vthe two rolls 13, 15, stationary knife 416S-and inclines or wedges 11 vfwhichhave bec referred to above. @n theitop (if-the fbea ng of the gage'roll 13 arefiXedforformed -two inclines one'of which isfshown at 69,:beth of which taper in the samey direction andabovelthem respectively'are the *two inclines 11 which both taperina direction opposite to that Of'the lower inolines69, The upper inclines are fast to vor integral with aV horizontally slidable rack-bar r'71-so that, by adjusting therack-barinto diHerent positions, the distance -to which the lroll '13 may rbe raised abovethe edge'of'theknife ltby'the blank, as it entersbetween-'the rolls 13, 15, and hence the thicknesslto which thefblank will besplit, may 'be controlled. The rack-bar meshes with-.a pinion "73 :fastto 'the upper end of 'a vertical shaft 75 to the lowerend of whichis 'fasta .second pinion'77 meshing with teeth formed on "the side of a horizontallyslidable rack-.bari79 sothat the position to which V.the rack-bar 79is adjusted determines'thegposition ofithe wedges 11 and consequently'thethickness of the finished work. The final'positionof the "racklbar .7 9 is determined by the angular position into which ay rock-shaft 81'is adjusted'by theup Vand downmovements of the ifeeler :roll 9. Fast tothesame rock-shaftlto which'the latch-tripping arm, previously referred to, is fastene'chis an arm 185, which .is connected with the bearingsof the lower roll 9 by mechanism (not shown), which is the same as that of `-the machine' of British Patent 17808 referred to above, and swings up and down as thinner or thicker spots are encountered in the blank byl that roll. Formedon the outer end ofthe arm 851is ase'gmentalrack which meshes with a sector 87 Aloose on the-.rock-shaft 81, Fast to the rock-shaftand extending .on both sides of thelopsely mountedsector is a member 89 (referred to hereinafter fas a. controller) having. a face 91 with 'which sa. ...facerY onlthe sector is adaptedto contact whenthesector is rocked downwardly bythefarm. .Tension springs 93 connecttherarmfwiththe member '89. With -lthis :construction 'the shaft '81, if permitted to, will be rocked when the arm 85 swings. Fast 'to theouter end ofthe rock-shaft Slis-a ratchet wheel 95 having for'1801degrees von lits periphery teeth 97 which point in one direction "and for the other 180 degrees teeth 99 which point in another direction. Arranged Ilto cooperate with theteeth 97 vis la pawl "101; and arranged to cooperate'withthe teeth 99 is a-second pawl 103. The paw'l/lOl, when operative, vlocks the ratchet lwheel '95, -and consequently the 'shaft 81, vfrom "angular movement in response to thicker-localities in the blankencountered by the feeler rolls; and the pawl 103locks-it against movement in response to thinner-spots, -so'that when both pawls are operative the ratchet l*wheel can not be turned. The pawl 101 ispivoted to theframe of the machine at 105 Yandis normally held in the inoperative 'position shown by a rod 107 which presses down u13oii"tlie-tziil ofthe pawl. The pawl 1031s pivoted on a rock-shaft'109 andhas a 'tail which ispivotally connectedA by .'alinkllll with the arm 17 which jcarries ithegate "5, a tension spring 113'tending at all`times'to pull the tail downwardly.

`When, in the operation ofthemachine,fal blan-kisfed beneath the open .gate 5'to the fceler rolls and enters between them, "the arm 85 and consequentlythe arm 65 is swung in la counter-clockwisel ydirection to 'trip the `latch 21 and allowthe gatetof'fa-lluponfthe blank as has been described. EAtthis t-ime the pawl 103 moves toward the ratchetwheel 95 but not far enoughto engage :the vteeth 99.; and thiscondit-ion continuesfthe gate riding upon the blank. untilthe rear endof the blank passesffrom beneath thegate. Before that occurs, however, the "feeling operation has been carried out. As thebl-ank'is fed along between the feeler rolls the "ratcln et wheel 95 and sha-ftiSl are free tol be swung in either direction 'until'thefforward end of the blank liftsv a shoe 115 whichis adjustably mount-cd on a rod-like arm 119, the hub of which is. pivoted on/therockshaft 19. .Extending out'fromthe samelhub is theinner end of anarm 121 totheouter end of whichithe rod 107 is pivoted. Consequently, when the forward end 0f the blank passes under andlifts the shoe Y115, the pawl 101vis released and swings into contact with the'teeth 97 the ratchetwheel 95^so that thereafter that wheel can Vnotturn in response to thicker localities'encountered in the blank by the feeler rolls.y It can, howc ever, turnin responsetothinnerspots and does so turn until the gatev rides "O'f 'from the rear end otthe blank and falls to closed position. At this time the pawl 103 engages the teeth 99, and no further turning` of the ratchet wheel 95 and shaft 81 in either direction is possible, these two members then o ccupying an angular position which corresponds to the thinnest spot encountered by the feeler rolls in the selected locality of the blank. The Yfeeler mechanism, splitting mechanism and adjusting,i mechanism as thus jl'ar described are or may be snbstantially the same as in the British Patent 17808 referred to above, and no 'further details of their construction will be given. In the patented machine, theA rack-bar which corresponds to 79 lis engaged by a sector which is tast to the shatt which corresponds to 81 so that the wedges or inclines which correspond to 11 are set directly by the turningV of the shaft 81; and the gate is not opened until the blank has passed entirely through the splitting mechanism and the ,gage roll has been liited by the blank and then fallen back into normal po- 'f sition.

ln the presentmachine the raclnbar `79 is engaged by a setting member tor the splittine; mechanism in the torni of a sector 123 which is loose on the rock-shatt 81. said settinaV member having a hub trom which extends a locking sector 125. Extending; 'from that side of the sector 125 which is adjacent to the controller 89,'is a lug 127 having a lint upper tace; and extending from the side ot the controller 89 is a similar lug 129. It, therefore, after the controller 89 has been adjusted to an angular position correspond ingY to the thinnest spot in a blank and locked in that position, the lug 127 is moved angularly until its 'flat 'face is in alinement or register Awith the flat face of the. lug 129, the setting member 123 will be swung into an angular position corresponding,` to thatot (ill the controller 89, and the rack-bar 7 9 will be pulled tothe right a distance sufficient to set the inclines 11 in a position in which the blank will be split or evened to th-e thickness ot' said thinnest spot.

The mechanism for bringing` the lugs 127., 129 into ali nement 'for the purpose described comprises an actuator in the form ot a striker 131 which rockably mounted upon the shaft 81 between the hub of the settingmember 123 andthat ot the controller 89. This actuator has a flat strikingn face which is wide enough to engage both lugs 127 and 129` and a tail to which is pivoted at 133 the headed upper end of a connecting-rod 135.

The lower end oi the connecting-rod is slidable through a bearing;` 137 and has threaded onits extreme lower end a nut 139. A coiled spring,- 140 surrounds the rod between the head of the rod and the bearing` 137. The

bearing;` ispivoted on a crank-pin 141 which` is carried by a disk 143. The disk is loose on a constantly rotating shaft 145 but may be connected thereto by a one-revolution clutch controlled by an arm 147. .The arm is actuated to throw in the clutch by a rod 149 pivotedrat 151 to the lower end of the verti cal arm 117 of the bell-crank lever, the hori- Zontal arm of which is indicated at 17. The rod 149 is held up against a pin 153' on the arm 147 by a tension spring 155 and has form-ed on it a shoulder 157 arranged to engage. the pin when the rod is pushed to the lett. This movement of tie rod throws in the clutch. .ln order to throw out the clutch so as to bring the crank-pin 141 to rest at'ter a single revolution a' bend 159 inv the rod is engaged by the crank-pin. The clutch itsel'lz has not been shown since its details form no part o1- the presentl invention, and any suitable one-revolution clutch may be employed. t will be understood, however, that when the rod 149 is moved to the lett the disk 143 and crank-pin 141 make one revolution and come to rest. l

The rod 149 is moved to they left when the rear end oit the blank passes from beneath the gate 5 and permits the gate.' to tall. vAt this time.y it will be recalled, the` ratchet wheel 95,' shaft 81 and controller 89 haveV been moved singularly into a position correspendingto the thinnest spot in the blank and locked in that position by the pa'wls 101, 103. Consequently, when the crank disk. 143 is caused to make one revolution Vit first rocks the actuator 131 yieldingly in, av-direction to bring the flat faces of the lugs 127, 129 into alinement or register and then in a direction to return it to its normal'position. The extent to which the actuator may be rocked in a clockwise direction depends upon the position of the lug' 129; and, sinceI this position varies with different blanks, some sort ot' yielding connection suchl as the' spring 140 is desirable. The actuator thus operates to swing; the setting member 123 into a position corresponding;` to the thickness o't the thinnest spot inV a blank.V In order to maintain the setting 'membeig and with it the inclines 11, in this position a pawl 161 isarranged to engaggje the lockingv sector 125. This pawl is pivoted on the rock-shaft 109 and has a tail to which isY pivoted at 163 the lower end of a link 165, the upper end of which is pivoted to an arm 167 which isA 'tast to the rockshaft 19 so that, when the gate 5 falls behind the blank and the shaft 19 is rocked, thepawl 161 moves into operative relation to the locking' sector 125 and holds the setting member 123,.

more. Vith regard to the pawl 101, which should also be releasedat this time, 'if the rear end of the blank has passed from beneath the member 115, thisv pawl will be released.. 1i, hcwever,'the blank is so long that its rear end is still beneath the member 115 when the gate 5 is opened, the pawl will still be operative. In order to ensure the withdrawal of the pawl 101 when the gate is opened, a link 169 is pivoted at its lower end to the pawl 103 and at its upper end is slotted to receive apin driven into the tail of the pawl 101, with the result that when the pawl 103 is withdrawn from the teeth 99, the pawl 101 is also withdrawn from the teeth 97. The slot in the link 169 is provided so that, when the gate 5. falls upon the top of the blank, the pawl 101 will not be affected. l Y

Should the blank be so thin at its front end that when the gage roll 13 of the splitting mechanism is raised, the inclines 69 on the roll bearing are not lifted into contact with the inclinesy 11, the inclines 11 would be moved out of their adjusted-position by the tension spring 171, which connects the rackbar 79 with the actuator 131, as soon as the gate was raised and the pawl 161 rendered inoperative. To provide against this possibility, there is fast to the rock-shaft 109 a second pawl 173 which is also adapted to engage the locking sector 125. In order to control the operation of this pawl, thereis tast to the outer end of the rock-shaft 109 an arm 175 having threaded through its free end a screw bolt 177 the head of which is held up against the under face of the arm 51 by a tension spring 179. With this construction, whenever the gage roll 13 of the splitting mechanism is lifted, the pawl 173 will engage the locking sector 125 and thus retain the setting of the inclines 11 until the blank, which is to be split, passes from between the rolls 13, 15, and the arm 51 is lowered.

The operation of the machine section by section has been described above in the course of the detailed description of the parts of the sections. lts general mode ot operation will now be summarized. The rolls ot' thesplitting mechanism and those of the eeler mechanism are' rotated continuously, the remaining parts of the machine being normally at rest in the positions shown in Fig. 1 with the gate 5 in raised or open position. A blank to be evened is pushed over the usual table and beneath the gate 5 to the feeler rolls 7, 9. As the blank enters between these rolls, the lower roll `9 is depressed and causes the arm 85 to swing downwardly. The rock-shaft 83 to which its hub is fast turns in a counterclockwise direction carrying with it the arm which, through the pin 67, trips the catch 21 and permits the gate to tall until it rides upon the blank. The falling of the gate vinto this position moves the pawl 103 toward the teeth 99 and moves the pawl 161 toward the teeth on the'locking sector 125 but does not move either pawl far enough to make it operative. The partial' falling of the gate also causes the trip-rod 149to be moved to the lett but not .far enough to trip the clutch so as to prevent kthe shaft 81 from turnv ing in response to any thicker spots encoun-` tered by the feeler rolls The effective feeling operation now begins i and continues until the gate 5 rides otf from the rear end ot the blank and falls to closed position. When this occurs, the pawls 103 and 161 arel moved into operative position, and the onerevolution clutch connects the 'crank disk 143 with the rotating shaft 145. Theievolution of thel disk causes the actuator 131 to engage the lug 127 and move it into alinement with the lug 129 on the controller 89. This rocks the setting member `123 in a clockwise direction', pulls thel bar 79 to the right, turns the vertical shaft 'and moves the inclines 11 into a position corresponding to the angular position of the lug 129, said angular position corresponding,l as has been explained, to the thickness of the thinnest spot in the blank. The pawl 161 by en gagement with the locking sector 125 holds the inclines in adjusted position after the actuator 131 has completed its rocking movement and come to rest. The blank is now carried toward the rolls 13, 15 of the splitting or evening mechanism and presently enters between them. In doing this, it lifts the gage roll 13 and through the arm 51 and trip-rod 49 imparts one revolution to the cam 33, thereby causing the catch 21 to engage the pin 23 and lift the arm 17 and with it the gate 5. Lifting ot the arm 17 swings the arm 117 to the right, said arm carrying with it the rod 149. In'connection with this raising or opening'of the gate it should be explained that when the rear end of the blank passes from between the feeler rolls7, 9, the'roll 9 rises under the influence ofsprings (not shown) and swings the arm 85 upwardly and the arm 65 to the right so that, when the catch 21 is lowered, it will be permitted to engage the pin 23. The raising of the gate 5, through the links 111, 165, withdraws the pawls 103, 161 from operative position, `and through the link 169, also withdraws the pawl101 if it has not already, been withdrawn, so that a succeeding blank may be presented `at once to the feeler rolls. rVilhen the gage roll 13 was lifted and the arm 51 swung upwardly, the spring 179 pulled the arm 175 upwardly and rocked the shaiit 109 in a directionV to cause the pawl 173 to engage the sector 125; and'this pawl continues to hold the sector 125 until the blank passes from between the rolls 13, 15, and the arm 51 swings down againinto the position shown. `With this construction it should be particularly noted that a succeeding blank may be fed to the machine and caused` to voperate the adjusting mechanism as soon as the gage roll 13 is litted'by the preceding blank and that the operation of the adjusting mechanism continues during the time that the preceding blank is being evened.

rIhe machines ot the patents referred to above are itted with marking mechanism in addition to splitting mechanism, but since this marking mechanism Vis merely another form of grading mechanism it has been omitted from the present showing in order not to complicate the drawings. grading mechanism, as used throughout the claims, is intended to refer to any mechanism which acts upon or with reference to a blank so as to perpetuate or to facilitate the perpetuation ot the determined extent ot a dimension ot a blank and is not limited to the particular grading mechanism which has been illustrated.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claimvas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,is:--

1. vA machine of. the class described hav.- ing, in combination, eeler mechanism, grading mechanism, and means for adjusting` the gradingl mechanism in accordance with the thickness of a thin spot encountered in a blank by the i'ee'ler mechanism, said adjusting mechanism including a rock-shaft., a controller angularly movable in response to the determinations of the ieeler mechanism, an angularly movable setting member for the grading'mechanism, an actuator located between the controller and the setting member, and means set into operation at the end ot the feeling operation for causing' the actuator to move the setting member into an angular' position dependent upon that into which the controller was moved by the feeler mechanism.

2. A machine of the class described having, in combination, teeler mechanism, grad ing mechanism, and mechanism for adjusting the grading mechanism in accordance with the determinations of the eeler mechanism, said adjusting mechanism including a controller having a projection thereon, a setting member for the grading mechanism also having a projection thereon, means for adjusing the controller independently of the setting member into a position dependent The term upon the thickness of a thin spot encountered in a blank by the ifeelerl mechanism and for lockingthevcontroller from movement so lthat its projection may act asa stop, an actuator adapted to vengage both projections, and means for operating the actuator to engage the projection on the setting member and move it as-far as the projection on the controller will permit. 3. Ainachine of the .class described having, in combination, teeler mechanism, grading, mechanism including a sliding member, the construction being such that the position of the sliding member governs .the operation of the' grading lmechanism, and mechanism for adjusting the sliding member into a position corresponding to a thin spotencountered in the blank by the feeler mechanism, said adjusting mechanism including a rack-bar connected with the sliding member, a toothed member meshing with therack and adapted when moved to move the rack-bar, said member being provided with a projection` a controller movable independently of the toothed member and4 also provided withy a projection, means for moving the controller into a position determined by the thickness of a thin spot in the blank, an actuator and means forthereafter causing the actuator to engage the projection on the toothed member and move it into a position determined by the position of the projection on the con-` troller. y

4. machine ot' the class described having, in combination, eeler mechanism, grading mechanism and means for adjusting the grading mechanism in accordance with the determinations of the feeler mechanism, said i adjusting mechanism including a rock-shaft, a-controller fast thereto, means for moving said rock-shaft and controller into an angunected with the grading mechanism in such manner that angular movement oi? the member sets the grading mechanism, and means operating thereafter Vor moving said member into an angular position corresponding to that of the controller.

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, eeler mechanism, grading mechanism, and means for adjusting the grading mechanism in accordance vwith the determinations of the teeler mechanism, said adjusting mechanism including a roekshaft, a controller fast thereto, means for moving' said rock-shaft and controller into an angular position corresponding to the thickness of a thin spot encountered in the blank by the feeler mechanism, an angularly movable member loose on the shaft and lconnected with the grading mechanism in such manner that angular movement of the member sets the grading mechanism, and

gemma means operating thereafterxfor moving-said member into an angular position corresponding to .that ofthe controller: Y

5. A machine of the class desoribedhaving, in combination, feeler: mechanism, grad-ring mechanism, and means for adjusting the grading mechanism in accorda-nce with L the determinations of the feeler mechanism, said adjusting mechanism including: controllerV movable. in differentI directions, two locking-L members adapted when operative one` to prevent movement ofl the controller in onedirection and the other to Iprevent'movement` in the other direction, and means-for-causing one of the locking members tobe rendered:

inoperative when the other is lrenderedin-f operative.

7. A,l machine of the class described hav-1 ing, in combination, feeler mechanism, grad-fA ing mechanism, and means for. adjusting thee grading mechanism in accordance with the= determinations of they feelerV mechanism, said adjusting mechanism including a controller movable in different directions, two locking members adapted when operative one to prevent rmovement of ther controller' in one direction and the other: to-preventmovement in the other direction,rand` connections between the locking members suoli that moving one of the members. from operative to inoperative position moves the otherI member in a similar manner. and' moving the other member to either positionhas no effect upon the tiret-named member..

8. A` machine of the class described having, in combination, feeler mechanism, grading mechanism, means for adjusting the gradingmechanism in accordancewith the determinations of the feeler mechanism, said.

adjusting mechanism including an angu-larlyf adjustable controller, two locking members adapted, when operative one to prevent angular movement of the controller in one direction and the other to prevent movement in the opposite direction, and means for causing one lockingmember tobe rendered inoperative when the other is rendered inoperative.

9. A machine of the class describedhaving, in combination, feeler mechanism, grade ing mechanism, and mechanism for adjustingvthe grading mechanism in accordance with the determinationsof the feeler mechanism, said adjusting mechanism including an angularly adjustable controller, two pawls adapted, when operative one to prevent angular movement of the controller in one direction' and the other to prevent movement, in the opposite direction, and connectionsA between the` pawls for moving one.

pawl from the other when the last-named pawl is moved toinoperative position.

10. A machine ofthe class described having, in combination, feelermechanism, grading mechanism,- and means for adjusting-the grading mechanismel in. accordancel with: thc-i thickness:4 of: the. thinnest0 spot encountered; ina blank .bythe feelerv mechanism, said adijust-ingl mechanism includingV afcont'rollermovable in one.y direction in response to; thicker spots encounteredby thev feelerV mechanism and in another directionin re-` sponse to thinner:l spots, a membervr adapted to prevent'. the controller from .movement 1in response: to. thicker spots, ,means for rendering'saidv member operative before-the feel-.i ing operation-:has beenv completed, a. :secondy member adapted tol preventmovementf ofi thecontroller in Vresponse tdthinner spots, means `for rendering-T said second member operative at: thefendz of the feelingoperation, means for subsequentlyrendering said?- second: member inoperative and means re Sponsive. to the. movement: of said'second' membery to inoperative position for renderingjsaid first vmember inoperative. Y 'lgAi machine of the,v class described hav-v ing, in combination, feeler mechanism, gradingmechanism, and means for adjusting the grading-mechanism in'` accordancel with the thickness ofi the` thinnest: spot encounteredin a blank by the feeler mechanism, said adj ustingmechanism including a controller movable in oneV directiony in responsey to thicker spots-V encountered by the feeler; mechanism and ink another direction in re sponse 1 to Y thinner spots, a pawl adapted to prevent the controller yfrom movementinl rcsponseto-thicker spots, means for render ingl said' pawl operative f before the feeling operationihas been completed, a second'pawlV ada ,tedf to preventy movement of the control erin'response to thinner-spots, means forrendering said-'second pawl'operative atv the end'of the feeling operation', means for'V subsequently renderingv said-second pawl inoperative andlmeans responsive to the movementoff said secondpawl to inoperative position forfrendering saidiirst pawlinoperatlVe. L

12. A* machine offthe classv described having, in combination, feeler mechanism, grade ing mechanism, a movable controller, a set'- ting member for the grading mechanisml movable independently o'fthe controller, mea-nsfor-'moving the controller'v into a posi--Y tion dependent upon the thickness of a thin spot encountered in a blank by the feeler mechanisma gate in front of the feeler mechanism and means set into operation by the closingofthe gate. for movingthe set'- ting'member'into a position determined by thaty of.` the controller.y

13. A machine of the class describedlhav'- ing, in combination, vfeeler mechanism, grading mechanism, an angularly` movable conthe thickness of a thin' spot encountered in a blank by the feeler mechanism, a gate in front of the lieeler mechanism, and means set into operation by the closing ot the gate for moving the setting member into an angular position determined by that of the controller.

14. A machine ot the class described, having, in combination, feeler mechanism, grading mechanism and mechanism for adjusting uthegrading mechanism in accordance With the thickness of a thin spot encountered in a blank by the feelerv mechanism, said adjusting mechanism comprising a member noi'- mally angularly movable in response to thicker and thinner spots encountered in a'blank by the feeler mechanisin, a paivl il'or preventing movement of the member in response to thicker spots, a shoe engagement oit' which by the blank during its passage through the machine causes the paivl to be moved to operative position, a gate in iront oli the :teeler mechanism, means for opening the gate, and means for moving the Vpawl to inoperative position when the gate is raised irrespective oi Whether the blank at that time is in engagement With the shoe.

15. A machine of the class describedhaving, in combination, a ifeeler inechanisi'n, grading mechanism including a. splitting knife and a pair ot rolls, one oi" said rolls being a gage roll adapted to be liite'd by a blank as it passes between the rolls, a mov-- able controller, a setting member 'for the grading mechanism movable independently ot the controller, means :tor moving the controller into a position dependent upon the vthickness ot a thin spot encountered in a blank by the teeler mechanism, means tor thereafter moving the setting inein'ber into a position dependent upon that ot the controller, a locking incn'iber for the setting member, and means responsive to the lifting Oi'' the gage roll by the blank 'for moving the locking member into operative position.

16. Almachine ot' the class described having, in combination, `feeler n'iechanism, splitting mechanism, a setting men'iber for the splitting mechanism, a controller, means adjusting the controller into a position uependent upon the thickness ot a thin spot ink the blank encountered by the ifcelei' mechanism, and means tor thereafter moving the setting member once 'loi' each blank passed through the machine into a position corresponding to that et the controller.

17. A machine oit the class described having, in combination, teeler ineclianii-zm. spli' ting mechanism, a setting memberl il'or splitting nieclianisn'i, a controller, in ins .tor adjusting the controller into aposi `on dcpendeiit upon the thickness ot a thin spot in the blank encountered by the-teelei' mechanism, means for thereafter moving 'the setting member once or each blank passed through the machine into a position corresponding to that of the controller, and means tor freeing the controller to permit it to be responsive to a succeeding blank before the splitting operation has been completed on a preceding blank. j

18. A machine ot the class described, having, in combination, ieeler mechanism, grading mechanism and means for adjusting the grading mechanism in response tothe determinations of the teeler mechanism, said means including a rock-shaft, a controller fastthereto,`means for adjusting' the rocksliat't and controller into an angularpositioii depcndeiit upon the thickness ot a thin spot encountered in the blank by the tceler mech-r anism, and means including a member loose On saidshaitfor setting the grading mechanism in a position corresponding tothe angula position ot the rock-shaft and controller.

19. A machine oit the class described hav-` ing, in combination, teeler mechanism, splitting mechanism and means for adjusting the` ting mechanism dillerently, a controller, vmeans tor automatically `adjusting said conti'oller into a position corresponding to the.

thickness ot a thin spot encountered in a blank by the teeler mechanism, and means ol lting after the controller' has been adjusted for moving the setting member once tor each blank passedV through the machine into a position corresponding to that ot the controller. Y

20. ji machine ot the class described having, in combination, teeler mechanism, grading iiiechanisn'i and mechanism tor adjusting the the thickness ot' the thinnest spot detected by the teeler mechanism in a selected portion ot a blank, said adjusting mechanism coi'iiprisiiig a setting member movement ot which sets or adjusts the grading mechanism, a controller it'or the setting member adjustable by the teeler mechanism independently ot the setting member into a po-V ;n determined by 'the thickness ot said thinnest spot, a. power-operated actuator,- n ri alli.

moans necon'iing operative after the fon ot the feeling operation tor morne; the setting member into a position )ending to that to whichthe cont-rollj usted by the iteeler mechanisin.

les',

in combination, feeler mechanism, splitfchansm, and mechanism for adjustthe sp ting mechanism in accordance with the thickness ot the thinnest spot-de-V nism comprising a setting member movegrading mechanism in accordanceV With y i machine oi the class described havment of Which sets or adjusts the splitting mechanism, a controller for the setting member adjustable by the feeler mechanism independently of the setting member into a position determined by the thickness of said thinnest spot, a power-operated actuator, and means becoming operative after thc completion of the feeling operation for moving the setting member into a position corresponding to that to Which the controller Was adjusted by the feeler mechanism.

22. A machine of the class described having, in combination, feeler mechanism including a pair of rolls between which the blank passes, splitting mechanism including a gage roll, a stop for determining the eX- tent to which the gage roll may be lifted by a blank which passes beneath it, and means for adjusting the stop, said means including a rock-shaft the axis of which is substantially parallel to those of the feeler rolls, a controller fast to said shaft, means for causing said shaft and controller to be adjusted by the feeler mechanism into a position corresponding to the thickness of the thinnest spot in a selected portion of the blank, a setting member looseJ on the shaft, connections between the setting member and the stop, and means caused to become operative after the feeling operation has been completed for moving the setting member into an angular position corresponding to that then occupied by the controller.

23. A machine of the class described having, in combination, feeler mechanism, grading mechanism, a controller for the grading mechanism adapted to be adjusted in accordance With the determinations of the feeler mechanism, a member located in the l path of travel of a'blank from one mechanism to the other adapted, when displaced by the blank, to effect a locking action on ing mechanism, a controller for-the grading mechanism adapted to be adjusted in accordance with the determinations of the feeler mechanism, a member located in the path of travel of a blank from one mechanism to the other adapted, when displaced by the blank to effect a locking action on the controller, and means for terminating said locking action When the blank has reached a farther position in its travel irrespective of Whether the blank is still in engagement with the member.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

`WILLIAM THOMAS BUCKINGHAM ROBERTS. 

